Author's Note: Hey everyone! Apologies for the longer wait than usual, for some reason this chapter took a lot longer than expected. I had some moments planned for this chapter but then I changed it over and over until I ended up getting a mini writer's block for several days. As for what happens here... Well... This is more of a build up chapter so I hope it is to your liking. Ooh! One more thing. In case y'all didn't know there is a great little thing called the scroll of infinite stories, a compilation of one-shots from some of the fandom's writers (arranged by Starless echoes, which reminds me, check out their stuff too, it's great! :)) and ya boi is in it :) So give it a read for there are some damn good one-shots in there! Anyways, you lot have waited long enough, so lets do this.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KUNG FU PANDA (There I said it! I said the thing!)
Enjoy.
A Bright Future, Shrouded in Darkness
A black sheet envelopes the sky as the evening turns to night, allowing the moon's gentle brightness to fully shine across the valley of peace. This ushers in the valley's inhabitants to a content slumber, one that blesses their hearts and minds with a deep sense of serenity. A fantastical reward for enduring the terror that was Nuba a mere six days prior. The Jade Palace bathes in the moon's luminous splendour, its white light shimmering off the pristine structure and bringing an almost ethereal elegance towards the building.
Within the hall of heroes however, this elegance is quite disastrously betrayed, more specifically inside the palace's archives. Unlike its usual decadence and perfect organisation, this hexagonal room is instead cluttered with several scrolls as its warriors dig their way through parchment after parchment in what was beginning to amount to a fruitless search. Just a few hours ago, Po and Tigress had returned to their home with the unexpected news of a new prophecy. After his steely blue eyes scanned through the clearly ancient scroll telling of the phoenix warrior, Shifu cautiously demanded that all his students search through the palace archives, alarmed that this prophecy had not rung a single bell in his mind.
As Tigress tiredly sighs for the umpteenth time since they started scouring these scrolls, she drops her parchment down onto the floor in frustration. All seven of them had allocated piles of scrolls to themselves with each warrior hurriedly scanning through the seemingly endless supply of reading material. After what had seemed like hours, she has finally reached the end of her pile to find… Nothing. A surprise to be sure, but one that she hadn't entirely taken out of the equation. If she hadn't heard of it within the twenty-five years she spent as a student, then why would it magically appear now? Then again, if Kai's story had flown under her radar, then there was the possibility that this could be a similar situation. Unfortunately, both her and the dragon warrior's suspicions had been proven wrong.
"Has anyone found anything?" She declares to her peers, her commanding voice dosed with exhaustion. Although she expects no different results than hers, there is still a tiny smidgen of hope that her comrades will find something. Anything.
A green praying mantis pops out of a massive pile of scrolls, his arms and legs adorned with his signature wrist wrappings. "Nope." This blunt response exits master Mantis' mouth as a bored expression lines his features, the insect clearly annoyed that they had to do something this taxing the day before they start training again.
Towards this green insect, master Monkey dressed in his usual brown kung fu trousers and black gauntlets carelessly tosses another useless scroll into his pile as he hopelessly shakes his head towards his feline leader. Amber orbs shift their gaze towards the compassionate sky-blue eyes of master Viper as she tears her focus away from the scroll she was just reading, looking at the tiger with an apologetic glint in her eyes. "Sorry, Tigress." Her motherly tone coats her reply as she shakes her head, much to Tigress' dismay.
"I dunno, does a scroll about Fenghuang count?" Master Tigress shifts her sights towards her avian comrade, master Crane, who is dressed in his usual blue training shorts and straw hat, his eyes darting over from a scroll held in his talons and the tiger warrior staring at him. She raises her eyebrows and crosses her arms, unamused by his feeble attempt at a joke. "Yeah, I thought so." Crane shrinks at his feline comrade's stare, the tiger still managing to scare him slightly in spite of her recently coming out of her hardcore shell.
Before anyone can say anything else, Po bursts out of a particularly giant pile of scrolls with a massive smile on his face, "I've found i- Wait!" He stops his declaration immediately, his smile falling as he takes a closer look at the parchment in his paws. "It's another one about me… Being an actual dragon…" His deadpan tone causes his friends to chuckle whilst Tigress gives him a small, affectionate smile.
"I just don't understand." Shifu's gruff voice echoes off the archive's walls, the red panda rubbing his chin in frustration. He manages to pass through the treacherous sea of scrolls, revealing his brown robes complimented by his green grandmaster's sash as he walks into the middle of the group with his staff, fixed once again. "How is there no information on this prophecy?" Frustration embeds itself within his voice, drowning his mind in a river of confusion as his steely blue eyes shift towards each one of his students.
With a small shrug, Monkey hands out an uncertain suggestion, "Maybe the prophecy is a fake? Like a myth or something?" His answer soon morphs into a question thanks to his baffled tone, the other warriors having little else to suggest for this mystifying scroll.
Tigress shakes her head in response, "I doubt that. They wouldn't put a scroll containing some kind of mythological being next to the scroll of the dragon warrior, no one would insult Oogway's wisdom like that." A collective hum of agreement engulfs the room, the Jade Palace warriors having little way of arguing the former this time.
Yellow orbs look upon the massive mountains of scrolls littering the floor, befuddled by how the archives have so much information yet there is no mention of this one scroll. If this prophecy is indeed legit, then that would mean the Zhanshi clan have kept it a secret from everyone. But why? He soon voices his concern, "But if this scroll is so important, why would they want to keep it a secret? Surely the people of China would need to know or at the very least, they would inform master Oogway."
This thought causes the tiger's eyes to widen slightly as she puts a paw under her chin in contemplation. Surprisingly enough, this question hadn't come up in her mind at all. Why would they want to keep this a secret? Then again, how would they know if it was kept a secret? "We don't know for certain if this was kept a secret, perhaps they might've told Oogway. After all, he has claimed to be in that village before."
It is clear from both warriors' expressions that neither are satisfied with this result as one glaring mystery remains, "Okay… But that doesn't answer my question. If Oogway did know about it, why wouldn't he tell us? I mean, I get that with Kai and Nuba they were more personal issues, but this… This is talking about saving all of China." A tense silence encapsulates the room as none of the kung fu masters can think of a single reason as to why the wise turtle would do this.
Po's eyebrows furrow as a thought bubbles its way into his mind. Though the turtle was always full of wisdom, he was also anything but orthodox. Maybe he had expected that they would find it at some point or maybe things were meant to happen this way and he didn't want to intrude on the universe's will. "Well… Maybe… Maybe Oogway wanted us to find it right now. Y'know? Like maybe the universe told him that this scroll was meant to be found by us after we found the Zhanshi clan… Um… Well… Yeah…" He trails off, not wanting to speak of the horrific genocide brought on by their previous maniacal foe. All seven warriors exchange ruminative glances, understanding that their former grandmaster would certainly do something like this. Yet this brings up another haunting inquiry. Why now? Why would they need to know about this prophecy now? Why would China be in its direst need?
Fear begins to encompass the room as this revelation pops into the minds of every warrior. Before this terror can truly sink in, Shifu quickly states, "Whatever the case may be, I believe its best if we all keep a close eye on that scroll. If what this prophecy states is true, then I doubt we'll be able to just stand by." All six of his students nod towards him as Tigress puts the amber scroll back in her waistband.
"Um… Should we…?" Crane trails off in uncertainty as one of his talons reaches towards his pile of scrolls.
With a swift shake of the head, the grandmaster speedily piles numerous scrolls onto his staff, stacking them up neatly as he masterfully tosses them towards a shelf, with all of them landing perfectly into these shelves. "I can handle it, Crane. Now all of you head off to bed, I want everyone to be ready for training tomorrow." All six masters bow to the red panda as they make their way towards the door, "That goes for you specifically, Po. I need you up early for teaching." Said panda gives a thumbs up to the elderly master as the six warriors head out of the archives and back into the hall of heroes.
The Jade Palace warriors look around the hall of heroes as they see many servants hard at work to fix the damages sustained by Nuba's attack. To their surprise, these builders and carpenters have done a practically spotless job within a week's time. No cracks are present within the jade floor nor is there any indication that there was once a hole in the roof. The only thing to reveal any signs of fatigue are the pillars still being reconstructed with the debris of the broken columns being swept away many days prior. This sight brings a collective sense of gratitude within the six warriors, gratitude that fate has been so kind to them. Fate… Right… For Po, however, this thankfulness gives way to another thought, one that had brought turmoil to his mind before, but ended up being pushing aside so the panda could teach his friend's inner peace.
All six masters head out of the hall's massive wooden doors and into the courtyard with several indentations still present in the stone floor. Jade orbs stare upon the starless sky, its overt blackness bearing down on his anxious thoughts. Whilst in his rumination, the furious five begin to make their way over towards the barracks until a certain orange feline notices her partner's absence. "Po?" She calls out lightly, causing the others to pause in their step.
Now snapped out of his muse, the panda looks over to his friends and puts on a small, subdued smile. "I'm fine guys, don't worry. Just thinking about something, that's all…" Po trails off before widening his smile, hoping that he has convinced them. Tigress walks forward in response, a foreign softness coating her gait as she lays a paw on the panda's cheek. Amber orbs stare into his eyes with a subtle but overpowering concern, her love for the dragon warrior embedded into her fiery gaze. At this, Po's fake smile fades, knowing that he could never hide anything from her. "Um… I… *sigh*" He struggles, desperately trying to find the right words so she doesn't misread the situation. "I… Well… I've got some stuff on my mind and… I just need to sort it out on my own… Y'know? Not, like I don't want you here or anything… I do… I do, I just need… I…" A small smirk lines Tigress' features as her panda continues babbling on, hopelessly trying to get his words right.
She shuts him up immediately with a gentle kiss on his cheek and a wider, brighter smile, "I understand… But if something is really bothering you, then please tell me, okay?" She assures Po, who responds with goofy grin and a quick nod of the head. Whilst she does notice a measure of sadness in his smile, she decides to leave it alone for now, hoping that whatever rumination he does will be enough to purge that despondence. Her paw slowly slides of his face as she heads back towards her comrades. Before they all leave, the other four masters give the panda quiet messages to take care and wishing him a good night. As they all leave earshot, the dragon warrior makes his way over towards the top of the thousand steps and sits on it, looking out on the valley below.
An almost evangelical aura takes hold of the humble valley as the gentle white light of the moon acts as nature's glorious spotlight. A grin takes hold of his face, the panda proud of his home and of everything that he has done to keep his people safe. His eyes shift over to the splendid sight of his father's noodle shop, still finding it hard to believe that he had managed to achieve his greatest dream. And now I have the master Tigress as my girlfriend! I am such a lucky guy. With this thought in mind, a lovestruck sigh escapes Po's lips until the question of his fate pops back into his head.
Many months ago, this thought had appeared in his head, preventing him from even sleeping one night. Somehow something that many would be considered a blessing had genuinely frightened him. The idea of being Oogway's successor, the idea of having a centuries old lifespan. Yes, being possibly immortal did sound cool at first, but that fanboyish enjoyment soon crumpled when he realised, he would outlive everyone he has come to hold dear. Granted after speaking with the wise turtle and his friends about it, this thought barely comes to his mind anymore. At this point, it isn't really what comes with the role that scares him. But rather…
His train of thought is soon interrupted by a small whisper at the back of the dragon warrior's mind, telling him to look back towards the hall of heroes. He immediately recognises this odd voice as the same one that had aided him in seeing the invisible white tiger mere days ago and so, heeds its tranquil warning. After turning his head back, his eyes pick out a figure sitting on the very edge of the Hall's roof. A figure bathed in a dim, celestial glow, which is accompanied by his white and gold robes. His ancient shell bears the history of China with its clear worn-out state as he lightly holds a long jade staff in his right claw. Jade orbs widen in shock as the panda recognises the wise turtle, "Master Oogway?"
"My, my. I couldn't even come up with a quip that time." A warm-hearted chuckle leaves the elderly master's mouth as he hops down from the roof, his deceptive litheness slightly catching the panda off guard. "I see that your connection with the universe is only growing stronger." He points out, causing Po's jaw to drop down to the bottom of the thousand steps.
"Wait, you… You mean that voice I'm hearing… It's… It's the universe… Speaking to me?" A smile begins to grow on the panda's face as he breathlessly lays out his inquiry towards the archaic turtle.
Patiently walking over to the panda master, Oogway gives him his signature gentle grin before simply replying, "Pretty cool, right?"
"Woah." Po whispers as he lifts his paws over to his face, wondering how much power he can truly have if he is able to speak to the universe itself. With the mesmerised master inspecting his paws, the late grandmaster takes his seat besides the dragon warrior and focuses his aged jade eyes on the valley that he has so carefully protected for many centuries. Meanwhile, younger jade orbs look up from his paws as a realisation slowly dawns on him. If things weren't certain before, then there truly is no denying it now. "I really am your successor…" Voicing his thoughts over to the founder of kung fu, Po lays his paws down as his features fall ever so slightly.
Despite his downcast expression being quite subtle, Oogway notices the panda's despondence immediately. Though he has already been made aware of Po's reservations of proceeding in his stead, he senses that there is something else in his mind. "A lot of pressure, no doubt." This statement causes the panda to dart his head over to the turtle, clearly in awe of how he had managed to read him so easily.
This surprise is quickly washed away as Po thinks deeply on what he just said. Though the idea of immortality certainly hasn't gotten any easier to grasp for him, he had quickly realised that there was a new disadvantage to being Oogway's successor. It is exactly that, he is Oogway's successor. He is meant to bestow the turtle's teachings, to deliver the messages of the universe just as Oogway had, to follow up the legacy of the very founder of kung fu himself. Safe to say, he has some big shoes to fill. How could he not mess up? Both pairs of jade orbs gaze into each other, silently exchanging the panda's concern with the turtle's empathy. Offering him a smile, the wise turtle responds to the dragon warrior's silent worry.
"Po, in life, everyone encounters… A forest," The dragon warrior's eyebrows furrow in confusion at the turtle's statement but he listens on, certain that he will inject his signature wisdom into this admittedly odd sentence, "it's path uncertain, shrouded in mystery, yet they know that their destination lies beyond it. Some go around this path, to familiarity, to safety. Others…" Oogway's usually tranquil eyes gain a venomous distinction for a split second before fading back to their usual gentleness, "Others opt to burn down the forest, to make this path clear of any obstacles or danger, unaware that they have created new ones, ready to punish them for torching those trees." Aged jade orbs look to Po, whose face still remains confused beyond belief resulting in a small smile on the turtle's face, "What I've found, is that the ones who plunge themselves into the forest, willing to brave any danger and stride fearlessly into any challenge, are the ones who reach the end with pride. Pride in the scars they have attained, pride in what they have accomplished in the forest. They are the ones who are the happiest in spite of the perils that they have endured."
Young jade eyes blink several times, the panda desperately trying to understand what Oogway is getting at to no avail, "I'm sorry, master. You've lost me there." Po admits with a meek chuckle, hoping he hasn't accidentally insulted the late grandmaster in any way.
His gentle smile still adorning his face, the wise turtle slowly nods before reassuring the panda master, "This is something you will understand in due time, dragon warrior. There is no need to fret." His voice blesses the panda's ears, coated in the wisdom brought from many lifetimes. Both masters look off towards the valley, enjoying it beauty now accentuated by the night sky.
Though it may not be the most straightforward advice he has ever been given, Po understands that Oogway's riddle will be more beneficial to him in the long run and doesn't proceed to question him any further. That is, until the mention of fire brings a certain inquiry into his mind, "Um… By the way… If you uh… Don't mind me asking… Have you ever heard of… The phoenix warrior?" Po gazes at the wise master hopefully until he is given the response of an intrigued yet uncertain look, "Or the… guardians of the Gods…?" His voice shrinks slightly, completely unaware if he has overstepped a boundary. Aged jade orbs look to the black skies in contemplation. They sit for a moment in silence, the panda anxiously waiting for the turtle's answer with bated breath until Oogway simply replies,
"No clue."
Po's face drops completely, mesmerised by the very idea that Oogway wouldn't know about… Well, anything. "Really? I mean… I thought you visited the Zhanshi clan village, surely they would have said something?" He implores, desperately praying that maybe the wise turtle had perhaps forgotten and just needed a refresher.
To his chagrin, the evangelical turtle shakes his head, "Nope. Whatever prophecy they have, they certainly didn't tell me." He turns his head over to the panda, seeing the disappointment littered on his face. With his gentle smile once again adorning his face, Oogway speaks in a timbre that transcends time itself, reflective of his seemingly endless amount of experience in the world, "You mustn't worry, dragon warrior. All answers come with time. You just need to remain patient, for that virtue is always rewarded."
Po gives the ancient turtle his signature goofy smile, no longer feeling the need to fake it. Though this isn't the best result he could've hoped for, at the very least Oogway has made some things clearer. Plus, I've got a new riddle to solve, so that's cool. He muses in his head as the two peaceful masters continue to gaze out towards the darkened valley in complete silence. Not a single word is said for a minute until the panda master reminds himself of his training tomorrow, "Well, I'm gonna have to go. Gotta get up early to teach and… Stuff…" Just before leaving, Po embraces the old turtle, catching Oogway by surprise. "Thanks for the help, master."
His smile widening, the founder of kung fu hugs his successor back as he informs him, "It's no problem, my friend." After a brief moment, they separate, allowing the panda master to jog over to the barracks. With the panda master gone, the late grandmaster looks back towards the luminescent valley, though his smile remains, an element of sadness finds its way into it.
"Master?"
At the sound of Shifu's gravelly voice, the turtle stands up and turns around. "Good to see you again, my old friend." Shifu bows in response, the master beyond joyful at seeing his master again. This joy is soon overwritten as steely blue eyes shift their gaze from the turtle to the retreating panda in the distance, a glint of anxiousness flashing in the red panda's gaze.
"It's good to see you too… Is something wrong with Po?" He asks, concerned that his pupil might be having another restless night. Even though both him and Tigress had found love, that didn't save them from the trauma they endured in Nuba's attack.
Oogway keeps his smile as he shakes his head, admittedly surprised by the gentler tone in Shifu's voice. Both grandmasters stare at each other for a moment, the far older turtle observing the almost invisible wariness in the red panda's face. "You seem distressed, my friend." In response, the current grandmaster's worry becomes more apparent in his features as he notices a foreign despondence in the turtle's usually chipper voice.
"Well, with all due respect, master, last time you had come to visit us… We almost died." He blankly states, the red panda wanting nothing more than to enjoy the time he has with his old friend in spite of his statement ringing true. Oogway wouldn't come down from the spirit realm unless he had something very important to say, and usually those important things tend to result in a near-death experience. Silence embeds the courtyard outside the hall of heroes as Oogway's smile begins to fade, the turtle harshly reminded of why he had come to his students in the first place. Seeing this immediately, Shifu's worry gives way to paranoia as his eyes widen, "Master…?"
The late grandmaster heaves a deep breath as his archaic eyes stare at the panic-filled, steel lenses of his eldest student. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, my friend. But something has happened… Something terrible…" A horrendous shiver goes through Shifu's spine as his ears identify something contained in his master's voice that he had never heard before. Fear. "A cold chill has rippled across the universe… For the first time in centuries, I have seen the Gods quake in terror…" The turtle takes another deep breath as fear holds his heart captive, any omnipotence he may possess seeming like a crude façade, "A great evil is rising, Shifu… Lurking in the shadows and waiting to strike."
"Where!?" The red panda yells out, his anxiousness getting the better of him. Whilst he is certainly no stranger to dealing with despicable foes, never has he heard his master, the all-knowing master Oogway speak with such fear, "When!? What do we do!? How do we-
"You will find out soon, my friend… Much too soon…" Oogway whispers out apologetically, trying his best to retain some optimism but horribly failing, "You and your students will need to fight with all you have… You will need to do whatever you can… For if you are unable to stop this evil… This enemy of fate…" He turns around to look over the valley, cherishing the land that he has protected for so long with the hope that it will survive present in his eyes. Yet this hope is soon overpowered by a crushing, horrifying possibility as Oogway darkly states, "Then all of China will be reduced to ashes, and its people will be no more than slaves to the darkness…" Shifu's mouth hangs open in sheer disbelief, his eyes widening to the size of celestial bodies. Whilst he hopelessly attempts to take in this news, Oogway continues to look over his dear valley, "I'm sorry that you and your students have to be put through so much in such little time… But we cannot let this evil take over our home… Not after we've fought for so long."
After taking several deep breaths, Shifu manages to adjust himself back to his usually stern disposition, though his fear can still be seen in his eyes, "We will do everything we can, master…" He bows lowly and closes his eyes to the elderly turtle, "I promise you… China will be…" His voice trails off as his eyes open up, Oogway's evangelical form having vanished completely. Before long, Shifu's steely eyes shift towards the darkened valley of peace, his master's fear now infecting his blue orbs at the idea of his home being overrun. "… Safe." This pledge is whispered out to the wind as the grandmaster truly realises the gravity of whatever threat dares to threaten China. Determination soon seeps its way into Shifu's features as he sprints over towards the student barracks, his hopes for a bright, peaceful future being unceremoniously shattered.
Oh damn, if Oogway's frightened then you know that the bad guys mean business. Oh, and if you are wondering... Yes, Spiritual Guidance is canon to this trilogy so I'd suggest reading it (If you haven't already) if you want some context on Po's worries or if you just want to experience an existential crisis of sorts cus y'know... That's always fun... Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and I hope that I'll get the next one done sooner. Until next time :)